“Exposing his dishonesty means many more claims he made can now be thrown out and the beginning of the end for IHAT.

“This will be a relief for our soldiers who have had allegations hanging over them for too long. Now we are taking action to stop such abuse of our legal system from happening again.”

Fallon said the Iraq Historic Allegations Team’s case load – which once stood at over 3,000 – will be down to around 20 by early summer.

6

Human Rights solicitor Phil Shiner has been struck off following his claims against Brit war heroesCredit: Simon Jones/The Sun

The IHAT team of 147 ex-cops and Royal Navy Police will then be disbanded and the remaining cases absorbed back into a military police investigation which aims to wrap up by 2018 – a year earlier than expected.

Meanwhile, the MoD confirmed the Royal Military Police is set to dismiss around 90 per cent of the 675 allegations of abuse from Afghanistan.

6

The £57million unit ruined hundreds of heroes' lives in its bid to pursue allegations of wrongdoing during the warCredit: Press Association

Chief of the General Staff – the head of the British Army - General Sir Nicholas Carter, said: “The Army’s Leadership Code requires the highest values and standards.

“It is right therefore that on the occasions that there are credible allegations of unacceptable behaviour they should be investigated.

RELATED STORIES

IRAQ PROBE TO GO

MPs to call for 'rotten' British Iraq troop witch-hunt to be scrapped

Comment

THE SUN SAYS

Lawyer Phil Shiner is a lying crook and the government should shut down IHAT witch-hunt TODAY

THE SUN SAYS

Government must scrap IHAT and Northern Ireland witch hunt before ruining more heroes’ lives

Warning

dogs of war

Corpses of ISIS militants left to be 'eaten by dogs' on Mosul's streets as Iraqi army wages psychological war

Breaking

TERROR ARRESTS

British man, 44, arrested for terror offences at Gatwick Airport after flying in from Iraq

“However, a significant number of claims made against our soldiers have not been credible.

"The recent exposure of unscrupulous law firms and vexatious claims has clearly shown this to be the case.

“Mutual trust is at the heart of the Army Leadership Code as is the care of soldiers and their families.

“We therefore welcome the Government’s commitment to ensuring we have the Nations confidence and the tools to do our jobs effectively on operations, free from the burden of unjust litigation.”

Veterans greeted IHAT’s closure with joy – but also anger – that it had taken so long to finally scrap.

Decorated former Captain Rachel Webster, 48, was arrested in a dawn raid over comments made about an ex-partner a decade ago.

That followed the collapse of the £31m Al Sweady war crimes inquiry – launched in part by Shiner’s wild claims of vile war crimes - which proved totally unfounded.

Insiders said Shiner’s conviction meant virtually all his cases could be discredited, adding: “IHAT’s caseload, which was already set to be whittled down from well over 3000 allegations to just 60 cases by summer 2017, is set to fall to just a third of that target, to around 20, by this summer.”

That has allowed Fallon to close IHAT as a separate body with the Royal Navy Police to absorbing the handful of remaining cases.

Ministers have always maintained if IHAT had not been set up soldiers could have been hauled before the Hague along with genocidal warlords from across the globe.

But that has not stopped widespread criticism of its heavy handed methods and waste of resources.

A Defence Committee into support offered to service personnel undergoing investigation found an IHAT investigator impersonated a police officer to get onto a military base.

The Sun revealed the recruitment firm Red Snapper had a £5m annual deal to provide ex-cops to the IHAT team.

Meanwhile millions went on interviewing alleged victims in Turkey and Lebanon.

Bizarrely the MoD were caught paying Shiner’s Public Interest Lawyers to accompany their “clients” on the trips.

The Defence Committee today published its report recommending IHAT be closed down.

It concluded: “IHAT has become a seemingly unstoppable self-perpetuating machine, deaf to the concerns of the armed forces, blind to their needs, and profligate with its own resources.”

Last night the MoD said it was still committed to ensuring troops never suffer at the hands of unscrupulous lawyers again, by derogating from the European Court of Human Rights (EHCR) in future conflicts.

My View by Colonel Richard Kemp, who commanded British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

IF IHAT is shut down tomorrow it won’t be soon enough.
This miserable organisation and it’s posse of private investigators is the state arm of a despicable campaign to undermine our brave soldiers on the front line, spearheaded by bent tank-chasing lawyer Phil Shiner.
Shiner could not have brought so much misery onto innocent British soldiers and their families without the support of successive governments spending our tax money.
Theresa May and Sir Michael Fallon deserve credit for finally calling a halt.
Great credit is also due to the press, especially The Sun, in their tenacious campaigning on behalf of the beleaguered troops.
What they exposed has been nothing short of betrayal, by government ministers, senior civil servants and – perhaps worst of all – by generals who should have fallen on their own swords rather than see their soldiers sold down the river.
Our soldiers are not angels and they would be no use to us if they were. But they are courageous, well disciplined, well led, tough, professional and moral.
Very few have wilfully transgressed the laws of war in either Iraq or Afghanistan, despite untold horrors and provocations that less effective fighting men would not be able to withstand.
But their collective names have been blackened by this politically-motivated slur campaign. The government must now compensate those directly affected, many of whom have had their lives ruined.
Worse still, our jihadist enemies have used the lies of Shiner and his henchmen to recruit, to gain funds and to motivate. It is highly likely innocent people have died as a consequence.
This must never happen again.
When we send our fighting men into battle to defend this country, and risk their lives doing so, we must in future ensure that they know they will get 100 per cent support from their chain of command and politicians.

Why IHAT had to go

DECORATED former Sergeant Richard Catterall says he was “left to rot” while lawyers hounded him over the death of an Iraqi civilian 12 years ago.

He believed the suspect, who was armed with an AK-47, was threatening the lives of his comrades.

Three separate inquiries - including a probe by IHAT - cleared the former sergeant of unlawfully shooting Muhammad Salim dead.

But the relentless investigations have now left him suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Highly commended Army Captain Rachel Webster was paid thousands in compensation by the MoD after being arrested and psychically restrained by IHAT investigators.

6

Innocent British soldiers were hounded over vile war crime slurs at the hand of the probe for seven yearsCredit: Getty Images

The 48-year-old was detailed in 2014 after refusing to give a witness statement about a colleague.

Three servicemen – including a decorated major – face prosecution for manslaughter over an Iraqi teenager.

The decision to consider charges comes despite a military investigation as long ago as 2006 that cleared the three men of wrongdoing.

It was reported the unnamed major, who has been awarded two medals for bravery and was wounded in Afghanistan, is suffering mental and physical health problems.

IHAT investigators have also been flooded with bonkers smears that proved utterly false.

A series have been leaked by angry ministers to highlight what they face from lawyers seeking compo payouts.

Looking in all the wrong places

It was alleged a passenger in a car was shot by a “hysterical” British soldier in a tank.

The IHAT investigation ascertained that PIL has submitted this allegation in October 2014, despite the Danish Armed forces accepting liability for this incident and paying compensation in August of 2003.

Whodunit?

It was alleged that a 13-year-old girl had been killed when she picked up part of a UK cluster bomb that had failed to detonate.

The IHAT investigation established that a 13-year-old boy had been killed, but was unable to ascertain whether Iraqi or UK munitions were responsible.

PIL challenged the MOD’s decision not to refer the case to Sir George Newman and the Iraq Fatalities Investigation.

Shortly before the hearing PIL disclosed a witness statement the boy’s father made before the IHAT investigation in which he said that he had been killed whilst in the vicinity of an Iraqi mobile missile launcher preparing to fire missiles into Kuwait, which was destroyed by a coalition forces helicopter.

Failed to locate a farm

It was alleged that the deceased was shot while working at his farm, after UK Service Personnel mistook his hammer for a pistol.

MOD had no record of a shooting incident in that area.

The IHAT have been unable to identify the location of the farm, or to locate and interview the complainant and other family members.

In the absence of further, proportionate lines of enquiry, the IHAT have discontinued their investigation.

Foiled at every corner

It was alleged that the deceased had been struck by a UK Armed Forces convoy, which failed to stop.
MoD had no record of this incident, and there is no evidence that UK Forces were in or near the area at the time.

The IHAT have been unable to obtain medical evidence, evidence of a burial, or a cause of death.

In the absence of any evidence, or further, proportionate lines of enquiry, the IHAT have discontinued their investigation.